Wrench



Aug. 4,1925. 1,548,344

W. L. BESSOLO WRENCH Filed Au 15. 1923 Patented Aug. 1-, 1925.

. a m; e WW ll m lit tree WILLIAILLEL. BESSOLO, OF CLEARWATER, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

To all whom' it may concern? Be it known that 1, WILLIAM l). Bnssono,

a citizen of the United States, and a resiprovide a tool of the character specified with a toggle device which operates to secure the work engaging parts in operative position, and to tighten them on the work when the tool is operated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool of the character specified in which the latch member that operates to secure the work engaging parts closed operates under compression rather than under tension, as such devices usually do.

The various objects and features of this invention willbe best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a chain type pipe wrench embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the wrench, showing the parts provided by my invention;

Fig. 3 is a detailed transverse sectional view, taken as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a view taken as indicated by the line 4- on Fig. 1; and

5 is an enlarged detail sectional View, taken as indicated by the line 55 on Fig. 3.

My present invention, in its broader aspects,is applicable to wrenches and tongs of various styles and constructions, it being particularly suited, however, for application to or embodiment in wrenches or tongs of the chain type. For the purpose of facilitating a clear and full understanding of the features and principles ofmy invention I have chosen to herein set forth the invention in or as applied to a wrench of the chain type, it being understood, of course, that such description and reference is not to be considered in any way as a limitation of the invention.

The tool illustrated in the drawings includes, generally, a lever 10; work engaging means 11, connectedwith the lever 10; and means 12, for releasably operatively securing the work engaging means in operative position.

The lever 10 may be of the general type common to tools of this character, and may include a handle part 13, having a head 14: at its inner end. The handle and head are preferably formed integrally, the head being shaped and proportioned as I will hereinafter set forth to properly accommodate the other parts of the tool. The work engaging means has a main flexible part in the form of a chain, including a plurality of links 15, connected by suitable pintle pins 16. The inner end of the chain is permanently connected with the lever 10 by a pair of side or check plates 17. The cheek plates 17 may be plain flat plates, pivotally connect-ed with the head lei by a suitable pin 18 so that they project a considerable distance beyond the head. The two side'links 15, at the inner end of the chain, extend between the cheek plates and are pivotally connected with the plates by a suitable pin 19.

A. gripping jaw 20 is arranged at the outer portions of the cheek plates. The jaw 20 extends between the cheek plates and is supported in recesses or sockets 21 provided in the outer parts of the cheek plates 17. The outer part of the jaw is provided with teeth 22, adapted to grip the work to which the tool is applied. The jaw is provided with a lug 23 which extends between the plates 17 and the side links 15 at the inner end of the chain to be held by the pin 19. By this construction the aw is effectively connected with the other parts of the tool, although it is free to be moved or forced out in the sockets 21 toward the work to which the tool is applied. In practice the pin 19 is preferably made to fit more or less tightly through the lug 23 so that j struction without departing from the spirit continuation of the chain.

of my invention, I preferably make it in the form of a rigid arcuatejaw and pivotally connect it to the outer end of the chain by a pin 27 so that it is practically a part or The extension 26 is made sufficiently narrow to pass between the cheek plates 17 so that it can be arranged between the cheek plates back of the jaw 20, or between the jaw 20 and head 1 1, in the manner clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The latch member may be a simple form of latch, pivotally carried by the head 14 of the lever to cooperate with the extension 26. In the form of construction illustrated in the drawings the outer part of the head 1 1 is yoked so that it has two spaced side parts 28. The latch member 25 extends between theside parts 28, being carried on a pivot pin 29 that extends between the side parts. The pin 29 that carries the latch 25 is located outwardly from the pin 18 and is offset with relation to the pin 18 in the direction from which the extension extends between the cheek plates. The latch 25 extends from the pivot pin 29 outwardly and in the direction that the extension extends between the plates. The latch is provided at its outer end with a head 30, adapted to engage and cooperate with the extension 26. The head 30 is provided with teeth 31 to cooperate with teeth 32 on the outer part of the extension 26. The teeth 31 and 32 are preferably comparatively coarse and can be advantagecusly shaped like gear teeth, as I have illustrated throughout the drawings. A suitable spring 33 is arranged in connection with the latch 25 to normally urge the head 30 outwardly, or in a direction to hold the teeth 31 in cooperative engagement with the teeth 32. It, is convenient to make the spring 33 a helical spring and to locate it between the outer part of the latch 25 and a suitable part of the head 14. In the particular construction illustrated in the drawings, the spring 33 is carried in a suitable socket 35 provided in the head 14:, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The socket 35 holds the spring 33 in operative position and allows it to be of considerable length. Th latch 25 is provided with a projection or handle 36 which extends inwardly or toward the handle 13 of the lever. The extension 36 forms a handleby which the latch can be conveniently operated, as will be hereinafter described, and also cooperates with the head 14 to limit the outward movement of the latch due to the action of the spring 38.

In practice it is desirable that the cheek plates 17 have only enough pivotal movement with relation to the lever 10 to allow for proper handling and operation of the tool. F or the purpose of limiting the pivotal movement of the cheek plates with relation to the lever I provide the pin 18 with a radial projection or lug 40 which extends into a recess or notch i1 in one of the cheek plates 17 and cooperates with the ends of the notch to stop movement of the plates with relation to the head. The projection 40 extends into a suitable recess 12 in the head 14 so that the pin 18 is held against rotation in the head. This particular means of limiting the movement of the cheek plates is particularly note- 'worthy in that it is simple, ettective and convenient of manufacture.

In using the tool it is applied to work, for instance, to a pipe P, by arranging the chain of the means 11 around the pipe and extending the projection 26 between the cheek plates 17 and between the jaw 20 and head 30 of the latch 25. As the ex tension is thus arranged in place the latch 25 will be depressed against the re sistance of the spring 33 to allow the teeth 32 to pass the teeth 31. When the parts have been thus applied to the pipe P by hand as tightly as is convenient the tool 'is in position ready for operation. To actuate the tool so that it grips the pipe P the handle 13 is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow A, causing the lever 10 to pivot about the pin 18 so that the pin 29 is moved between the cheek plates in th direction indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 1. This movement of the pin 29 moves the latch 25 so that it moves or urges the extension 26 between the cheek plates 17 and the direction indicated by the arrow C in Fig. 1, and at the same time moves or bears tightly and forceiully against the extension to stay in C0- operative engagement with it and to force the extension against the jaw 20 so that the jaw grips the pipe. Slight operation of the handle 18 in the manner just described will cause the tool to solidly grip the pipe P so that further movement of the handle will cause turning of the pipe. The action of the means 12, as above described, is virtually a toggle action, as the pin 29 in being moved between the cheek plates causes the head portion of the latch to be forced outwardly and between the cheek plates. It is to be noted that the latch is under compression strain when in operation. I have found in practice that this mechanism and arrangement of parts is particularly enective, convenient and reliable, and that there is no tendency whatever for the latch 25 to release when the tool is in operation. To release the tool from the work the projection or handle 86 is swung out, as indicated by the arrow H in Fig.- 1, causing the teeth 31 to lift out of engagement with the teeth 32, whereupon the extension 2-6 is free to be withdrawn from between the cheek plates to release the chain from th pipe.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tool 01" the character described in cluding, a lever, work engaging means having its inner end connected with the lover, a work gripping at the inner end of said means, an extension on the enter end or" said means to extend back oil said jaw, and a latch connected with the lever to releasably connect said extension with the lever and force the extension against the jaw when the tool is operated.

2. A tool of the character described including, lever work en ging means, cheek plates connecting the of said "r end means with the lever, a jaw carried between the cheek plates, an estension on the outer end of said means to extend back of the jaw, and a latch connected with the lever to releasably connect said extension with the lever and force the extension against the jaw when the tool is operated.

8. A tool of the character described inciuding, a lever yoked at its inner end, a chain, ehe plates connected to the inner end of the chain and pivotally connected with the lever, a gripping jaw carried between the cheek plates adjacent the inner end of the chain, an extension on the outer end of the chain adapted to extend between the cheek plates back of the j aw, and a latch pivotally carried by the yoked part of the lever to cooperate with. the extension at a point substantially opposite the jaw to releasably operatively hold the extension, the pivotal mounting of the latch being located away from the point where the latch engages the extension in the direction from which the extension extends back of the jaw.

l. A tool of the character described including, a lever, work engaging means, plates arranged at the sides of the lever connec g the lever and the inner end of said met. s, means for releasably operatively connecting the outer end of the work engaging means *ith the lever including a member adapted to extend between the plates when in operating position, and a work gripping part arranged between the plate; and movable relative to the plates.

5. A tool of the character described in eluding, a lever, work engaging means, plates connected to opposite sides of the lever to project ron'i the lever, means connecting the inner end of the work engaging means with the plates, the projecting parts of the plates having recesses in their ed 'es, means for releasably operatively connecting the outer end of the work engaging means with the lever including a member adapted t extend between the plates when in operat ing position, and a gripping part movable relative to the plates and extending between the plates and supported by said recesses.

6. A tool of the character described in cluding, a lever, vork engaging means,

plates connected to opposite sides of the lever so that they have parts projecting from the lever, a pin connecting the inner end of the work engaging means with the plates, the projecting parts of the plates having recesses in their edges, means for releasably operatively connecting the outer end of the work engaging means with the lever including a member adapted to extend between the plates when in operating position, and a work gripping jaw held by said pin and supported in said recesses so that it extends between said plates.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed name this 25th day of July 1923.

.Vitness l. L. WTESTLAKE. 

